Inspiration
by Rosel
Summary: Clayton and Zoey fight for their hereos against the VRA and get some help from a hero of their own.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Inspiration**

**Rated: PG-13**

**Chapter One**

**Summary: Zoey and Clayton try to fight the injustices of the VRA**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Smallville if I did Clayton and Zoey would be regulars. **

**A/N: Set in shows canon while Chloe's missing and after Homecoming well after Abandoned. This is a Zoey and Clayton story but it has a lot to do with Chloe and even Chlollie it all connects and helps put some missing pieces together. OR at least that's what I'm trying to do.**

Zoey woke up and accidently pushed Clayton off of the bed. "Wha…What? Who died?"

Zoey rubbed her sleepy eyes and said, "Oh nothing, it's just mourning and your still here."

"Oh, so…we fell asleep working on the latest issue. What's the big….?"

"My dad is an early riser and he has a gun!" Zoey said.

"Right." Clayton said. "I'll just…"He pointed towards the cracked window with the long tree branch just reaching the window just right, perfect for climbing.

Then Zoey said, "Clayton, wait!"

"What?"

Then she grabbed him by his plaid shirt and pulled him close and laid one big enthusiastic filled with passion kiss on him. Then a little out of breath she said cheerily, "Good morning!"

"Mourning!" Clayton said as he grabbed her waist and pulled her back in another kiss.

The good mourning kiss quickly turned into a make out session. Then in the middle Zoey pushed him off of her. He looked at her perplexed. Then they heard noises. She then pushed him motioning him to leave. He got his book bag and was about to leave when they heard her mom say, "Zoey, turn the TV on now!"

Clayton came back in curious about what her mom was talking about. A woman news anchor was on and there was that blur S sign burned on a wall with an X on it. The woman went on to say that the Vigilante Registration Act had passed and now all vigilantes had to register. Zoey quickly turned off the TV and threw the remote at the TV. "Tyrants!"

Clayton came in closer and turned the TV back on trying to get more information but it seemed very vague.

"How can they even tell if they register or not?"

"Besides Oliver Queen? I guess they catch them in the act? Gosh! They are freaking heroes they are treating them like criminals!"

"I know. I can't believe it."

"We got to do something!"

"What can we possibly do against the government?" Clayton asked.

"We got to use our voice, our power of the press. That is how this country started it's all about freedom of speech."

"Yeah, but it's one small online high school paper. What possible difference can we make?" Clayton asked still in a daze over the news.

"Chloe was one small high school reporter and look at the impact she made. She brought an evil billionaire to jail before her senior year. She was one small teenage girl but she still had a huge impact. Come one lets just do what we always do. We got to get this out as soon as we can today."

"We already sent the issue out last night."

"So a special edition is just what this school needs. You get going on setting up on all of the technical mumbo jumbo and I'll get started on the article."

"Will do. Zoey, just be careful, this isn't our regular weird and unusual story this an expose on the government we might….." Clayton said show a hint of worry and nervousness.

Zoey smiled and said, "Don't worry truth and justice almost always prevails!"

Clayton couldn't help but smile at her contagious smile and hope at her relentless hope and optimism she was his inspiration.

The rest of the day was super busy they rounded up as many staffers as they could find and try to get them to respond to the VRA announcement but not one was willing to stand up to the VRA and point out it really should be repealed right away because it was unconstitutional. Most people were scared of speaking up. A lot of them were scared of talking about politics. Some of them actually agreed that vigilantes were a menace and breaking the law. Zoey was even willing to do a point counter point but even those were afraid to be associated with someone who was willing to speak against the government at such a time. Zoey was getting increasingly frustrated. She about gave up. She was pacing in the old Torch room back and forth ranting and raving about how the school was filled with cowards and people who just didn't care. Then Clayton stopped her and took her hand and rubbed tender circles on it.

"It's going to be OK Zoey, we don't need to do a whole issue of several articles. Your article will be plenty and it's a special edition. Believe me with your writing people will notice. It's going to be great because it will be you writing it."

Zoey began to calm down as she looked with in his chocolaty brown eyes, he always had his way to bring her in peace in the most chaotic and desperate situations.

Zoey sat on the floor glued to her laptop typing as if her life depended on it and as far as she was concerned her free life really did. Taking the rights away from heroes was just the first step before they took away her rights as well.

While she working on that, Clayton was trying to set up a special edition. Their online school newspaper was directly linked to the school website and it only ran new articles annually so he had to get permission from the principle to get the special edition out. He sent him an e-mail, called him, and even tried setting an appointment with the secretary, but he got nothing. The principle was MIA. The timing of the mission principle was awfully suspicious. He glanced over Zoey who was still eagerly typing with that mega watt smile on her face. He knew how hopeful she was. She truly believed that this small little paper could make a difference. He couldn't let her down on a technicality. He knew that this could really bite him in the ass pretty quickly; hacking into the schools website could be seen as a major offense. He could get in a lot of trouble for it, but looking at Zoey, he knew it was worth the risk. They couldn't just sit there and be silent. Their heroes needed them and Zoey needed him so what was a couple minor hacking laws when it came to undoing a great injustice?

The special edition was released and as was suspected the whole school was buzzing about. People may have been skittish about speaking up but Zoey's nack for passionate speech and linking super cool examples of how amazing their heroes were, certainly helped and people really did take notice. That was the problem. They both found themselves in the principle office pretty quickly. Clayton knew this was coming. He broke rules so now he was willing to face the punishment. He figured it would be something like detention or even suspension. His worst case scenario was that they ban the Torch for a little while. They waited totally willing to pay whatever price they had to for Truth and Justice.

The secretary called them in and as they came in the principle wasn't there, instead sitting in the principles desk was a stoic woman wearing a military uniform.

She stood up and said, "Did you two illegally hack into the school and run this rag?"

Zoey said out raged, "It's not a rag!"

Clayton asked, " Where's Principle Richards?"

"He'll be detained for a while."

"What? Under what grounds?" Zoey asked just as out raged.

"For not complying with this new agenda." She said matter of factly.

"You can't do this he has rights and so do we!" Zoey yelled.

"Things change. Laws and rights change and you either go with it or suffer the consequences."

"Uh, you can't possibly be for real." Zoey said.

"I am as real as they come and you two are under arrest for assisting heroes and speaking hate speech against the government."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Smallville**

Zoey found herself all alone in a dank old rotting prison cell. It looked really old fashioned like it hasn't been used in a while. Zoey was jolted, there was just no way that this could be happening. Everything was damp and dank and then prison bars were opened and a guard grabbed her and led her to some kind of interrogation room. Clayton sat there he looked really roughed up with some bruises on his arms. She rushed to him and hugged him. He embraced her never really wanting to let her go.

"Are you OK?" They worriedly asked at the same time.

They laughed a little. Then Zoey creid. Clayton let her just stand there and cry on his shoulder. Then he led her to the steal metal chair beside him holding her hand.

They sat there in silence for a little while and then Clayton looked up at her and he said, "Look, you're not going to want to hear this."

"What?"

"I'm going to say it anyway."

She squeezed his hand and then said "Clayton you're scaring me."

"In a minute their going to question you."

"I gathered that."

"Just tell them that you'll comply that you won't print any more antiVRA artilces."

She dropped his hand shocked and said, "Who are you and what did you do with my boyfriend?"

Clayton stood up frustrated, "You'd be safe. You'd lie low for a while and stay a live. "

"I can't believe you'd even think that. Chloe Sullivan would never just give up like that, she'd keep fighting."

"Are you so sure about that?"

"What? What are you talking about you admire Chloe and the legacy she left us just as much as I do."

"Think about it Zoey. Chloe isn't a reporter anymore. She doesn't even exist. Everything left of her is a high school year book, the only reason she had a name tag because people in the high school remembered her. She raced every digital trace of her self. She's in hiding. Why? Most likely because she bit off more than she could chew, just like we just did, and she went in hiding to protect herself. And that is exactly what you need to do."

"I don't believe you. I can't . And even if that's true that's not the Chloe who I admire, the Chloe who is my hero. The Chloe I know from the Torch and the DP was relentless heroic reporter unveiling bad guys and stopping injustices with the written word. She's the one who I admire and who I emulate. That Chloe would be proud of me. She would want me to continue to fight no matter what the odds and what the danger. I won't take the coward's way out." Zoey said firmly.

"I know you won't. It was worth a try." Clayton said.

Then suddenly the door opened and she held Clayton's hand promising herself she would be strong.

Then as it opened a blonde woman in a black leather jacket stepped out carrying a gun. It was Chloe Sullivan and she was there to rescue them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Smallville**

Chloe Sullivan was amazing. Zoey, already new this fact before but now here she was clad in leather jacket holding a gun like an expert and guiding them through the weary escape of this top secret facility. There was no way this place was official. It clearly was quickly put together and Chloe had found the weak spot easily. Chloe had hacked her way into the security system and made a fake video of Clayton and Zoey sitting there that made Clayton extremely impressed. He looked at her in amazement and wonder as she speedily typed her way through showing him hacking skills beyond his reach, which actually was very impressive because Clayton knew his stuff. All of that technical computer hacking stuff was more his thing, which had always proved helpful to her.

Chloe had helped them get out there quickly but at the last minute a guard was able to attack them and Chloe turned around and shot him in the shoulder and then run to her car. Zoey took the wheel and Chloe ran and they all just barely escaped together.

Of all of the times Zoey dreamed about meeting Chloe Sullivan she would never in her wildest dreams even imagine anything like this. The Chloe she thought she knew was a fearless reporter she didn't imagine her as Sydney Bristow, Trinity, or Nikita. But now on top of spunky and fearless reporting she was such a bad ass. Zoey was impressed she could not wait to pick her brain and ask her tons of questions.

As they got a fair amount of distance, Zoey pulled over and Chloe took over. Zoey thought that she would just take them home, they were home free now right? Where else would they go? But Chloe explained to her that they weren't the VRA were still after them because they were a threat and they had to lie low for a while. No one could know they were OK.

Zoey didn't like that at all. She didn't want to lie low. She wanted to go home and get to her lap top and tell the world what happened to her.

Chloe stopped the car and turned to Zoey, "I know how you feel. You'll stop at nothing to print the truth because as a truth seeker and investigative reporter it is your duty to let people know what is going on but I'm sorry Zoey, you're going to have to forgo your basic reporting instincts to protect yourself."

Zoey shook her head unbelieving, "I can't just sit back and put myself before the world. They have to know the truth. They have to know what our government is doing!"

"They will, eventually, but for now we have to protect ourselves. If we get caught we won't be around to fix this. OK?"

"OK." Zoey said reluctantly.

Then Chloe led them to an old abandoned safe house. She was about to open the door and then she dropped her hand and turned around and said, "OK, guys you have to promise me something. Everything you see from here on out is completely and 100% off the record."

"What? Everything? Everything is off the record. I don't understand?"

Clayton rubbed Zoey's hand and said, "Come on Zoey, we're safe, she saved us it's the least we can do."

Zoey shrugged her eyes fierce obviously wanting to fight this more but then she rolled her eyes and said, "Fine. It's off the record."

Chloe led them in and Clayton eyes were about to pop out of his head as he saw the room decked out in computer screen after computer screen.

"Cool." Clayton said in awe.

Each one displayed a lot of images of different people; Zoey realized that they were images of hidden cameras. She even had a camera at Smallville High.

"Wow." Clayton still was in his daze and amazement and Zoey shook her head in a different kind of amazement and said, "Big sister is watching."

It shook Zoey to her core that here was her biggest hero standing here in the flesh telling them to keep things off the record and having taps on just about everyone and everything. It was a bit disturbing.

"Wow, when you said you liked what we were doing with the Torch I thought you knew by seeing our site online. It did feel a bit coincidental that you sent us the message just when you missed our homecoming for you. I brushed it off as possibly Clark letting you know we were excited or it just being a coincidence. I should have stayed true to the motto I learned from your articles, 'there are no coincidences."

"Smart girl." Chloe smiled looking a bit ethereal.

Zoey continued to look at all of the screens; she saw the White House there, metropolis, and places all over the world.

"I guess we know how you found us." Zoey said still a bit baffled.

"I've been keeping my eyes on a lot of things. There were so many things but when red flags come up I pay attention. When the VRA started to storm some small Smallville High school, I took notice. Your words sparked a lot of attention." Chloe said with a little pride in her eyes.

Zoey smiled a bit filled with pride that her hero was impressed with her and that her words were threatening and cause attention and probably could make a difference, and that's why this all was happening. But the joy that would come from her hero honoring her was overshadowed from seeing this scary side of her hero. She wasn't who she thought she was.

"So what you sit here all day and monitor trouble and go out and save people all by yourself."

"Well, someone has to do it."

"What about all of the heroes out there? Can't they help you?"

Chloe didn't say anything remaining stoic and then Zoey said, "Oh my gosh you are helping them."

She saw Metropolis and some images of the Blur sign scorched on the street.

"You're like their Guardian Angel or something. Just sitting here watching and then protecting in the shadows."

"Something like that."

Zoey had such mix feelings in some ways she was awed and impressed but in others she was upset and discouraged. She was always inspired by the heroes but one of the things she didn't like how they were in the shadows and not in the light. That is why she was impressed by Oliver Queen slash the Green Arrow. He stepped out into the light for all of the world to see him.

Then as she looked she saw quite a few monitors of Oliver Queen. She realized that they all weren't live feeds some of them were streaming of old recordings going on over and over. It was an Oliver Queen she has never seen before. He looked at the window sad and lonely with cuts on his face and hurt in his heart. He looked truly tortured and out of place. Then it occurred to her, she did see a small moment of sadness on the news. He was getting interviewed and he had mentioned he had lost someone dear to him. It was kind of obvious he was talking about a girl. Zoey, always wondered who this mysterious girl was who would inspire him to go out and reveal himself like that.

Then Zoey said thinking out loud, "You're that girl."

"Who?" Chloe asked.

"Oliver Queens mysterious girlfriend who he sacrificed everything for. He went in public revealing himself to the world, so the world can see how amazing the heroes really are. Mostly he did it for you. He even said as much in an interview. I thought maybe his girlfriend died or something but wow, here you are in the flesh watching him like some kind of stalker or something. You leave him there all alone while you watch over everyone and only interfere when you have to and doing it totally by secret so no one can ever know."

She thought at this point Chloe would get angry or upset. She basically was getting all up in her face about her personal life but she remained stoic not showing a hint of anger or any feeling at all really.

"I understand. I know how you feel, when you think your heroes let you down. There is so much you don't understand there is a bigger picture here. You said you would put the world before yourself well that's me, that's what I'm doing. The world comes first. It's my purpose and my mission. They all come first."

Zoey had nothing to say after that. What could she say? She was right there was so much she didn't understand.

Chloe sighed and Clayton looked really uncomfortable shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You guys had a long and hard day. I've made rooms for you and brought you a change of clothes. There's a shower down the hall. Shower up, change, and try to get some sleep."

"Then what? We just sit here and wait for everything to just blow over or you save us all?"

"Something like that."

Frustrated Zoey stomped down the hall towards the bedroom she really couldn't stand it any longer being by this fallen hero. Clayton tried to go after her and comfort her and help her find some perspective but she couldn't let him in. For once Clayton's soft touches weren't going to solve anything, they weren't going to sooth her. It was glaringly obvious that Chloe walked on a cloud to him, she could do no wrong. Everything she did was amazing to him. He still looked at her the way Zoey had looked at her all of these years when reading her articles and trying to fill her shoes and emulating her. Now, it was gone. This spunky, fearless, amazing reporter who would go after truth and justice was hiding behind monitors playing god.

**A/N: Thanks for those who read, reviewed, and alerted. So this does get a little negative with Zoey doubting and being shocked about Chloe's spying. I hope no one is turned off by this. Zoey and Clayton reperesent the different sides of the different fans. As well as Zoey representing a younger version of Chloe. I always wondered what a younger version of Chloe would think of her older version. It also kind of what would it be like to meet a celebrity and realize the perfect image you imagined of them isn't true. I'm not trying to take away from the awesomeness that is Chloe. Cuz I think she is just plain awesome. I'd just think it would be interesting for Zoey and Calyton to see this different side of her. OK there will be more to come I hope you guys like this. Please review! **


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